Happy Birthday, Percy
by Mandi2341
Summary: Just a couple of one-shots in Sally's POV about Percy's birthdays during the series, so it includes 13, 14, 15, and possibly 16.
1. Thirteen

**Author's Note: Hi! More Sally stuff! I was on YouTube and people were all saying "Hey it's almost Percy's birthday!" "August 18****th**** is Percy Jackson Day!" etc. So, I wanted to write some one-shots for Percy's birthday. I mean, I have the biggest crush on Percy ever. Ever. I'm going to start ranting about how awesome he is if I don't let you read now. But I challenged myself to writing a one-shot every day until his birthday. So, Happy 13****th**** Birthday, Percy!**

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><p>I walked quietly to Percy's room, with a candle and a lighter in my hand. The door was almost closed—open enough just to let a few streams of the late-afternoon light into the hallway. He'd been out like a light since last night, when he'd come back from camp with his right hand heavily bandaged. His face had been pale and feverish, and he'd barely been able to stand upright. So naturally, I'd sent him straight to bed. But I had started to feel a little bad, since it was his thirteenth birthday, and he hadn't had a chance to celebrate at all today.<p>

_Wow_, I thought. _We'd made it all the way to thirteen._ Demigods had such short lives, being chased by monsters throughout their lives. I'd always been especially worried about Percy, since he was one of the most powerful half-bloods out there. But…he was thirteen today.

I opened the door as quietly as I could, just enough to poke my head through to check if he was still asleep; even so, the hinges creaked. Percy was lying on his side with his back turned to me, but he must've heard the door open, because he turned to face me. "Mom?" he croaked tiredly.

"Hey, kiddo," I said with a smile. "Happy birthday."

Percy frowned. He sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Oh, yeah," he said. Then he added with a small smile, "I'm thirteen today."

"Yup," I agreed. I brought out the small blue candle. It was like a little wand, with the number 13. I lit the candle. "Make a wish."

Percy cocked his head to the side, eyes fixed on the ceiling in thought. Then he seemed to make up his mind, and blew out the small flame. "You know, I can't tell you what I wished for until it comes true," he reminded me.

"I know," I said with a smile. "So, how was the rest of your summer?"

Percy shrugged. "It was okay, I guess."

"'Okay, I guess'?" I smirked. "Come on, tell me what happened. Start from when you arrived back to camp."

Percy rolled his eyes, but he had a smile on his face. "Well, if you really want to know…I guess I could tell you. When we got back to camp, Annabeth, Grover, and I each got laurel wreathes, since we were the first to return successfully from a quest. We got to burn our burial shrouds—"

"Wait," I interrupted. "Burial shrouds?" It sounded like the camp wasn't very optimistic about their campers. "You mean that they sent you guys off with the mindset that none of you would come back alive?"

"I guess so," Percy answered. "Sounds pretty pessimistic, right?"

"Just a little," I said sarcastically. "But, I'm interrupting. Keep going."

"Okay, so we got our burial shrouds, and, Mom, Annabeth's was so beautiful." His eyes lit up. "It really was. Silver, with little owls embroidered into it—" He stopped suddenly, glancing at my face. I raised my eyebrows as if to ask, _What?_ But I could tell that this Annabeth had left an impression on him, because he blushed, quickly continuing his story. "Anyway, yeah. Grover got his searcher's license, too."

I smiled. I admired Grover; he was still young, but he was a very brave satyr. And I was glad Percy had befriended him. He was, honestly, Percy's first real friend, and it made me very happy to know that their quest had mutual benefits. "Good for him," I said.

"Yeah," Percy agreed. He stared off into space for a moment, like he was reminiscing about his time on the quest with his friends Annabeth and Grover. "He's off to look for the long-lost god Pan now," he said. "He left on the Fourth of July, after the fireworks." Suddenly his face lit up again. "Oh, Mom. You should've seen the Hephaestus cabin's fireworks display. It was amazing!"

"I can imagine," I laughed. "They are the Hephaestus cabin, after all. What kind of fireworks did they have?" I asked, because I was, in fact, genuinely curious about it.

"I can't explain it well," he told me. "I mean, they were so close in sequence that it looked like the images were literally moving across the sky, like Hercules beating the Nemean Lion, or George Washington crossing the Delaware—did you know he was a son of Athena?"

"Nope," I told him. Honestly, before I'd met Percy's father, Poseidon, I would never have even considered that most of the famous people we know of today were demigods, like George Washington or Amelia Earhart. But after Percy was born, the word _impossible_ was completely eliminated from my vocabulary.

Percy went on to explain how he'd gotten my letter about my "statue" called _The Poker Party. _I smirked when he mentioned it. Percy was an amazing kid, not just because he was half-god. He had the biggest heart of any kid I've ever known. He'd given my Medusa's head so I could start a better life without that awful man, Gabe Ugliano. I'd married him to hide my son from the monsters, but now that he knew that he was a demigod, he didn't need my protection anymore. And I will be the first to say that I had no qualms about setting that box down in front of him, coaxing him into opening it up, and I couldn't hide the satisfaction of watching him slowly turn to stone by Medusa's gaze. All my life I'd been running from monsters, keeping them away from my son and me; who knew that one day a monster would aid me in changing my life for the better? I wrapped an arm around Percy's shoulder and kissed his feverish cheek. "Thanks so much for doing that for me, Percy," I said quietly.

He looked at me with those green eyes that I loved so much, green eyes that seemed to reflect his emotions so clearly; most of the time, a soft, quiet green, like the ocean on most days—hard to read, emotionless, but somehow calm. But other times, the ocean sparkled with the brightness of the sun, shimmering invitingly, like its own way of showing happiness. That was precisely what I saw in Percy's eyes at that moment. "You're totally welcome, Mom," he said.

I ran my hand through his dark hair, down his neck, resting my fingers on his shoulder. Then I felt something, like a cord, between his neck and shoulder. Percy seemed to notice and, with his good hand, took it from under his shirt.

"I got this at camp," he explained, holding out the leather necklace for me to see. It was leather, with a single black clay bead. "You get one every summer, and they put the most important event of the summer on it."

I looked closer. There was a green trident in the center of the bead, and I couldn't help the smile that crossed my lips. "I'm guessing that the 'important event' had something to do with you, am I right?"

He didn't answer right away, but his cheeks turned pink again, and that gave me the confirmation I needed. "First son of Poseidon at Camp Half-Blood," he told me.

"Well, good for you, then," I said.

He just sighed. "Yeah." Suddenly he winced and held his hand.

"What?" I asked, my motherly instincts automatically kicking in. "Are you alright?"

Percy saw the worry on my face, and although he didn't do a great job of hiding the pain, he nodded. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," I said. "Let me see."

He let me take his hand, and I gingerly unwrapped the bandages. My heart skipped a beat when I saw his palm. There was a huge red welt where his palm had swollen, like he'd been stung by something. "What happened to you?" I asked.

"Scorpion stung me," he replied bitterly.

"When was this?"

"Yesterday morning, I think," he answered, wincing again.

I stood up and retrieved a clean bandage. Then I told him to break off an ambrosia square and start eating it. Percy explained what had happened as I wrapped his hand again.

"Last day of camp," he started, "I went to the sword fighting arena to practice, and Luke was there already…I told you about Luke, right?"

I nodded. I remembered our teary homecoming back in June, where he'd told me everything that had happened to him. He'd mentioned Luke, a college-aged camper who'd welcomed him with open arms on Percy's first day.

"Well…he took me into the forest, and…he told me that everything about the lightning bolt was his fault."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

His eyes narrowed. "I mean, _he's_ the real lightning thief. He sabotaged the quest, tried to kill us. He's being controlled by the Titan Lord, Kronos."

The room seemed to grow colder.

"He summoned a pit scorpion, and it stung me," he finished. "So here I am."

"Hmm," I said. It was all pretty disconcerting. Percy's first year at camp, and already he had evil Titans chasing him.

Obviously, I was scared to death for him, but Percy saw my expression and said, "Mom, it's okay. Trust me. And besides, it's my birthday: fun day, happy thoughts, remember?"

I stared at him for a few seconds, and again I was amazed at how much he looked like his father, how much he acted like his father. "You're right," I told him. "It is your birthday. And…" I stood to get something from my room. "I've got something for you."

I turned and dug through my closet for the present. It wasn't wrapped, just a red bow wrapped around it. But I knew he would love it, and I'd gotten it just in case he decided to return for the school year. It could come in handy for some escape from school, something to take to Central Park and have fun. I knew he'd had his eye on this forever, but with Gabe around, I'd never gotten the chance to get it for him.

I returned to Percy with his gift behind my back. I could see the smile slowly forming on his face. "What'd you get me?" he asked.

I revealed his gift to him—the skateboard he would always stop and stare at when we were at the mall.

His eyes widened when he saw it. "Mom, you're awesome!" he exclaimed. "How much did this cost?"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Why does it matter?" I asked. "Money doesn't matter when it comes to my son. I'd sacrifice everything for you, Percy, don't you know that?"

He laughed. "Thank you so much, Mom," he whispered, throwing his good arm around my shoulder. "This is awesome."

"Anytime, kiddo," I replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Happy thirteenth birthday. When you get better, we can do something, if you'd like."

He shook his head, the smile refusing to leave his face. "This…this is enough. I love this. I love you, too."

"Love you more than you could possibly imagine, Percy. You are one amazing kid."

"And you are one amazing mom."

I kissed the top of his head. "Get some rest now, sweetheart," I told him.

"Not tired," he said. "Can we watch a movie or something?"

I smiled. "It's your birthday," I said. "Whatever you want."

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><p><strong>Like it? Hate it? Don't care? Review! (BTW I wrote this making it up as I went along. Yeah, I didn't really have a plan for this. Well, sort of, but not really. I just really wanted to write this in honor of Percy's birthday!)<strong>

**Thanks for reading! **

**~Mandi2341**


	2. Fourteen

**Author's Note: Happy 14****th**** Birthday, Percy! This one was fun to write. Towards the end, I got a little choked up. Maybe I'm getting too much into my work…I love Sally, though. She's an amazing mother. This is fun. I'm so glad I'm doing this story. Sally is probably—no, she IS my favorite adult in the series.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Fourteen<em>

"I smell pancakes," Percy's voice said behind me.

I turned and found my son standing in the kitchen doorway, clad in his pajamas. I smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Happy Birthday, Percy," I told him.

"Thank you," he replied with a smile. "So…do I get special blue birthday pancakes?"

"Of course," I laughed, stacking them onto a plate and handing the plate to Percy, who looked pretty eager to start eating. "What kind of toppings would you like?"

"How many am I allowed?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "How many were you planning on?"

"As many as I'm allowed," he smirked.

I shook my head, smiling. "Then you're allowed as many as you want. How does that sound?"

His face lit up. "Sounds awesome!" Immediately, he headed toward the cupboard, bringing out maple syrup and chocolate sprinkles. Then he went to the refrigerator, retrieving butter and a can of whipped cream.

I couldn't help laughing. "You're not too old for that?" I asked him.

Percy stared at me as if I was crazy. Holding my gaze, he said, very seriously, "I will never, ever, be too old for pancakes with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles, Mom."

At that, I burst out laughing, and ruffled his dark, messy hair. "Of course you won't," I said. "Well, eat up, because once you're done with breakfast, I've got a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise?" he asked, digging into his pancakes.

I sat down across from him and folded my hands. "I was thinking a weekend at Montauk."

Percy's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

"No, Percy, I'm joking," I said sarcastically.

He grinned. "If you were, I'd be crushed, you know."

"Which is why I'm not."

Montauk was our favorite beach. I'd literally been taking Percy there since he was a baby. My parents had taken _me_ there since I was a baby, practically. That beach was special to us. After all, it was where I'd met Percy's father, who just happened to be the god of the sea, Poseidon. We had tried to go last year, but we had been interrupted by a monster who had tried to kill my son and me. In previous years, my awful ex-husband had been keeping us from going "because vacations cost money" he'd said. This year, Percy had been at camp all summer. School was starting in a couple of weeks, and we hadn't gotten a chance to go this year.

Percy kept grinning and grinning. "Mom, you're awesome," he said.

"Thanks, kiddo," I said. "It's all for you."

"Thank you so much."

I patted his shoulders. "No problem. Now, finish eating so we can get going, okay?"

"I'm on it," he laughed.

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><p>We were ready to go an hour and a half later. We packed our bags in the back of my Mazda and hit the road. We talked about stuff, catching up with each other.<p>

"So I see you got a new bead," I said, glancing at his camp necklace, which now had two beads on it. "Is that a...golden ram?"

"Yeah, like the Golden Fleece, you know," Percy answered. "That's why I had to sneak off on that 'dangerous quest'," he said, I could see out of my peripheral vision that he'd made air-quotes with his fingers. "Which, by the way, wasn't as dangerous as it may have sounded."

"You know, you still scared me half to death," I told him. "I mean, I send you off to school, you don't come home, and I get a phone call from Chiron a couple days later saying that you snuck off to get Grover and the Golden Fleece."

"And I was successful," he reminded me. "I did both. I found Grover _and_ the Fleece."

I sighed, trying not to smile. He _had_ done both, but still…most parents don't have to worry about their children being eaten by monsters in the Bermuda Triangle. "Just…let me know next time you go on deadly adventures, okay?"

"Okay," he promised. "But seriously, it wasn't that bad. I mean, I had home-field advantage."

"I know," I said. "Must've loved that, huh?"

Percy scoffed. "Learned that I'm a human GPS at sea," he muttered.

I frowned, confused. "What?"

"Annabeth and I found out that I have perfect bearings when I'm at sea," he explained. "And it only works when I'm on the ocean or on the sea. Saltwater, not freshwater."

"That's kind of cool, though," I said with a smile.

"To an extent," he agreed, begrudgingly. "But it's kind of annoying when people are always asking you, 'Where are we now? How about now?'"

I nodded. "Understandably."

We talked some more about camp stuff, and he told me about the new camper, Thalia, Daughter of Zeus. But when he mentioned her, his voice took on a more bitter tone, like he was almost annoyed.

"I'm guessing you two don't get along very well," I said.

"Not really," he said. "I mean, she's so…serious about _everything_, like Capture the Flag is a life-or-death scenario or something. It's a game!"

"I thought Capture the Flag was supposed to train you _for_ life-or-death situations," I reminded him.

"Well…yeah, but…" Percy trailed off, pouting. "It's still a game. I think Thalia just likes winning. She thinks she's so amazing at everything, just because her dad is Zeus. And everyone treats her like she's royalty or something. I think she's overconfident."

"Sounds familiar," I noticed, giving him a sideways glance.

Percy looked thoroughly offended. "I'm not like that!" he said.

I took a deep breath. "Well, you can be pretty sure of yourself, too, Percy. And you get attention at camp because _your _father's Poseidon, right?"

"Yeah, but—"

"But what?" I smirked. "Face it. You and Thalia are a lot alike."

"No, we're not."

"Yeah, you are. I've seen her; you even look alike," I said, remembering the face of the dark-haired girl as she walked down Half-Blood Hill on the last day of camp.

"We do not," he told me. "And besides, my eyes are green; hers are blue."

"Okay, Percy," I said, surrendering. We continued to talk about random things, listening to the radio, until we finally reached the beach.

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><p>We arrived in late afternoon. We unpacked all of our stuff at our usual cabin, cleaning out spider webs, wiping the dust off of the windows. When we were settled, we went out to the beach. Percy ran ahead of me, the way he always did when he was younger. I smiled, remembering all of our other trips to this beach. When Percy was small, he would always be the first to the Long Island Sound, splashing through waves, swimming around like a fish. Today, even though he was fourteen, was no different.<p>

As soon as his feet touched the water, he smiled. His eyes changed, reflecting the glittery green ocean. A smile spread across his face. "I missed you, ocean," he sighed.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help smiling with him. "You spent practically your whole summer either at the beach or on a boat," I reminded him.

"Mom," he said. "The sea is a part of me. You have no idea how good this feels. It makes me feel stronger, and calmer."

"You're in your element," I agreed. I wrapped my arms around him as a breeze blew through our hair. _This was perfect_, I thought. I looked at the ocean, and could imagine Poseidon standing there with me, watching the setting sun turn the water gold.

"It makes me feel closer to Dad," Percy murmured, as if he was reading my mind.

I nodded. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" My eyes started to sting, just thinking about all of the memories I had on this beach with Percy's father.

"This is an awesome birthday present, Mom," Percy whispered. Then he did something that surprised me. He kissed my cheek. "I love you, Mom."

"Percy…" I whispered. "I love you, too. Happy Birthday." Then I remembered something else. Another reason I brought him to the beach. It was pretty much empty, except for the two of us, since the school year was so close. "Oh, yeah," I said. "Tomorrow, how about you learn a few tips on how to drive?"

"What?" he exclaimed, but he was definitely excited. "Are you being completely serious right now, Mom?"

"Why wouldn't I be? You're fourteen, right?"

"Yeah, but, seriously?"

"Why not?" I asked. "You'll get a head start on your permit."

"Man, this birthday just gets better and better," he sighed. "Thank you so much, Mom."

"Anytime, Percy," I told him with a kiss on the cheek. We wrapped our arms around each other's shoulders as we walked along the surf, night setting in, the waves gently lapping at our feet, the stars shining bright.

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><p><strong>Kind of open-ended, yeah, I know. But I hope you enjoyed this one. I definitely enjoyed writing it. And I'm excited because his 15<strong>**th**** birthday is up next! The birthday party that takes a dark turn, but with funny moments. Can't wait to write it!**

**Reviews are awesome! I love reading them. You guys are awesome!**

**~Mandi2341**


	3. Fifteen

**Author's Note: Yay! It's August 18th! We all know that's an important date, right? Well, here's the one you've all been waiting for! The funny awkward one from **_**The Battle of the Labyrinth**_**, Chapter 20: "My Birthday Party Takes a Dark Turn". I enjoyed this one. I'm sorry I didn't post this yesterday; my computer was being stupid.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, because I am not Rick Riordan. **

**HAPPY ACTUAL BIRTHDAY PERCY! **

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><p><em>Fifteen<em>

"Rise and shine," I whispered, shaking Percy's shoulder.

In response he muttered something unintelligible into his pillow and turned away from me—the natural reaction. But even so, he woke up groggily and said, "Hi."

"Hey," I said. "Happy Birthday."

I expected his excited smile, the one he gave me every year, but I guess this year was different. This year, he didn't seem the least bit excited about his turning fifteen. He sat up, frowning. He looked almost…concerned?

"Thanks," he replied quietly.

"You don't sound too excited about your birthday," I pointed out.

He just shrugged, but I could tell he was trying to hide to worried look on his face. "I guess…I'm just a little…apprehensive," he decided.

I frowned, sitting next to him. I tilted his chin up so he would look me in the eyes. "What do you have to be apprehensive about?" I asked him. I didn't want him to water down the truth for me, the way he always did. I really wanted him to be honest with me, because if _he _was worried, something was wrong. Percy was hardly worried about anything. _He was like his father that way, I suppose_, I thought to myself.

Percy took a deep breath and let it out in a huge sigh. "Getting older just doesn't seem like anything to celebrate anymore," he told me.

_Where was this coming from? _ "Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because," he started, "I'm already fifteen. Next year, I'll be sixteen. And…" he trailed off, the worry definitely more obvious on his face.

"And what?" I prompted.

"And…well…" His voice was taking on that tone he always had when he was trying not to scare me. So I braced myself; I knew what he was about to tell me would definitely scare me. "…there's this prophecy that says bad things will happen on my sixteenth birthday. And I would have to make a choice—one that saves the gods, or destroys them forever."

For a few seconds, I was shocked. That was certainly something to be frightened over, but I tried to lighten things up. "How are you so sure that it was about you?" I asked him.

He hesitated for a few seconds, not sure how to answer. "Well…I don't know the _actual_ prophecy," he admitted. "The gods have forbidden everyone from telling me. But Chiron and Annabeth and Luke…they've been giving me hints. And so far, I know that it mentions the next child of the Big Three to turn sixteen. The only two people it could possibly be is either Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, or me. And Nico's younger than I am. So unless something happens to me—"

"Gods forbid," I cut in, shuddering at the thought.

"—then it's got to be about me," he finished. His voice was shaking now, and he twisted his newest bead: an intricate maze, the Labyrinth, Percy had explained yesterday.

I sighed. It was awful, the burdens that these young kids had to carry on their shoulders. Now, in addition to the usual dangers of monsters chasing him, my son has one more thing to lose sleep over. It upset me, how much he'd gone through this summer alone. Blowing up a volcano should've been enough, in my opinion.

So, in another attempt to brighten his mood, I asked Percy, "You want to invite anyone over for your birthday? I was thinking about throwing you a little party over here. What do you say?"

Percy nodded. "Sounds cool," he said. I could tell he was trying to sound more excited, but he sounded like he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him.

I pursed my lips. "Good," I said. "And Percy…" I ran my hand through his hair. "Cheer up, sweetheart. Just forget about prophecies, and Titans, and turning sixteen. You still have another year to go. Today, you're fifteen. Just enjoy today."

Percy looked at me for a few seconds, then nodded, a hint of a smile returning to his face. "Can I have Tyson over?" he asked.

I smiled. "Of course," I replied. "Anyone else? Grover, maybe Annabeth?"

As soon as I mentioned Annabeth, Percy's face fell. "Annabeth's staying at camp," he said bitterly. "And Grover's going all over the city looking for recruits for the Titan War."

"Okay," I said. I didn't pry into it. When they'd come back into the city looking for an entrance to the Labyrinth, Percy and Annabeth seemed to be on bad terms with each other. Which was strange, because even though he would never admit it, I knew Percy liked Annabeth as more than a friend. "Anyone else you want to invite?"

Percy hesitated again, then shook his head, like he'd thought of someone, then changed his mind. Then he looked at me. "Anyone _you_ want to invite over?" he asked me.

The question took me by surprise. "What do you mean?"

He raised an eyebrow and gave me a half-smile. "I _mean_," he started to say, slowly, "isn't there someone _you'd_ like to have over? A certain…Paul Blowfish?"

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help laughing. When I'd introduced Percy to my boyfriend, Paul Blofis, he'd thought I'd said _blowfish_ and seemed bent on calling him that every opportunity he got. "You said you weren't going to call him that anymore," I reminded him.

"No, I said I wouldn't call him that to his _face_," Percy corrected. But his smile and bright eyes were back, and it was worth it.

"You sure?" I asked. "I mean, it's your party."

"You're right," he agreed. "It _is_ my party. And I want Paul to come over."

When he saw my confused expression, he added, "Mom, he makes you happy. I want him over. Except…" Suddenly he looked a little doubtful. "…the high school."

I smiled really wide. Getting up, I patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Percy. Chiron's taken care of that problem." I explained to him the phone call from the camp director, saying that he'd manipulated the Mist so that Percy looked like an innocent bystander who'd fled from a crazy firebomb-throwing cheerleader. And in addition to that, Percy was the best kid ever. He was inviting my boyfriend over just for me to have some company at _his_ party. "Thanks, Percy," I told him, kissing his cheek. "Now, get up, get dressed, and have some breakfast, kiddo. We're going to have some fun today, okay?"

"Okay," he smiled. "I'll IM Tyson, tell him that he can come over."

I nodded and left the room to make breakfast.

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><p>Later that afternoon, Paul and Tyson came over. While I was setting up the living room, Paul asked Percy to help him with something in the kitchen, so Tyson helped me blow up party balloons. When they came back into the living room, Paul had a huge grin on his face. He wrapped an arm around me, giving me a peck on the cheek. He kept smiling at me, more and more, until finally I laughed, blushing, and asked, "What are you smiling about?" Although, inside, I didn't want him to stop. He had a smile that made my heart race.<p>

"You are a great mother, you know," he whispered.

"Thank you," I whispered back. I glanced over at Percy, who was helping Tyson decorate the room. They were talking, and occasionally I heard a laugh from one of them. "Percy is my life."

This time Paul embraced me full-on, and for a minute, I was completely oblivious to the world. As he held me in his arms, I realized that I'd forgotten what being in love felt like. And this was definitely it. I loved it. And I loved him.

Finally, I broke away, smiling. "Come on," I said. "Let's start this party."

I finished frosting the three blue cakes: one for Percy, and two more for Tyson, since he was a Cyclops. I put the finishing touches on them, decoration Percy's with fifteen candles, and lit them. We sang Happy Birthday to Percy and I told him to make a wish.

Percy closed his eyes in thought, the candles' flames casting gold light over his face. He took a deep breath and was just about to blow them out when the doorbell rang.

Frowning, I got up. Percy hadn't asked anyone else to come over, and our doorman hadn't called up to say that anyone else was coming. "Who could that be?" I wondered aloud. I walked over to the door and opened it.

When I saw who it was, I nearly had a heart attack. I hadn't seen him for years and years. But there he was, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and Birkenstocks. He also had on a hat that said, _Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat._ He looked exactly the same as he had fifteen years ago: jet-black hair, sea-green eyes, and wonderfully jovial smile.

I started to say his name, but thought better of it, what with Paul in the next room. _Whoa, Paul's in the next room,_ I thought, and I could feel my face getting warmer. _This is going to be nothing but awkward._ "Um, hello," I managed.

Poseidon smiled. "Hello, Sally," he said. "You look as beautiful as ever. May I come in?"

My throat felt like it was closing up, but I was able to choke out the word, "Yeah." But it came out as a shy squeak. Poseidon took no notice of it and stepped inside.

I glanced over to Percy, who was staring wide-eyed at his father. Tyson was staring in shock as well, but with a grin on his face. Paul looked back and forth between Percy and me, reading our faces. Finally, he got up and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Paul Blofis," he said.

Poseidon looked amused. Shaking Paul's hand, he said, "Blowfish, did you say?"

_Wow, _I thought, glancing at Percy, who raised his eyebrows as if to say, _See?_

_The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree after all, I suppose, _I thought.

"Ah, no," Paul corrected. "Blofis, actually."

"Oh, I see," Poseidon said. "A shame. I quite like blowfish. I am Poseidon."

I sighed, wondering how Paul would take this. I was pretty sure Paul couldn't see through the Mist, but still…Poseidon wasn't a very common name, and I thought Paul would probably be somewhat suspicious.

Paul did look surprised. "Poseidon? That's an interesting name."

"Yes, I like it," Poseidon said matter-of-factly. "I've gone by other names, but I do prefer Poseidon."

"Like the god of the sea," Paul noticed.

"Very much like that, yes," Poseidon said with an inside-joke smile.

I had to admit, he was good at being just honest enough, but too honest. I guess it was because Paul probably would never have suspected that he really _was_ the god of the sea. Why would he have reason to? But Poseidon was cutting it pretty close, and in all honesty, I was feeling pretty awkward. So I did the natural thing.

"Well!" I cut in. I turned to Poseidon. "Um, we're so glad you could drop by." I turned to Paul, bracing myself for a potentially uncomfortable introduction. "Paul," I said, "this is Percy's father."

Paul didn't look too thrilled with that news, but he nodded. "Ah, I see."

Poseidon caught Percy's eye and smiled. "There you are, my boy," he said. Percy nodded, managing a nervous smile for about half a second before looking back down. Poseidon turned to Tyson. "And Tyson, hello, son!"

Tyson shouted, "Daddy!" and ran over to give Poseidon a huge hug, almost knocking the god to the ground.

Paul's mouth hung open. "Tyson is…" He trailed off.

I could tell what he was thinking, and I quickly said, "Not mine. It's a long story."

Poseidon looked back at Percy, so that two identical pairs of sea-green eyes met each other again. Off hand, I thought, _Now that I could compare side-by-side, I know that Percy will grow up to look exactly like his father._ Poseidon said, "I couldn't miss Percy's fifteenth birthday. Why, if this were Sparta, Percy would be a man today!"

"That's true," Paul agreed. "I used to teach ancient history."

Poseidon got that inside-joke look again. "That's me," he said. "Ancient history." He looked at all of us. "Sally, Paul, Tyson…would you mind if I borrowed Percy for just a moment?"

Without waiting for any of us to answer, he put a hand on Percy's shoulder and took him into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>We sat in the living room. None of us really talked, so it was the longest awkward silence I'd ever sat through.<p>

Finally, Paul broke the ice. "So…does Percy's father visit often?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I mean, Percy sees him more often than I do," I admitted.

"Oh? Why is that?" he asked, and I he looked genuinely curious.

"Uh…" I started to say, but no really good reason came to mind. So I simply shrugged and added quickly, "But that's good. I mean, I'm glad that Percy has a relationship with his father, you know?"

Paul nodded.

I glanced at the cake, which had candlewax dripping onto it. "Percy!" I called. "The candles are melting!"

For a few seconds, I heard them talk a bit more about something. Finally, Percy walked back into the living room by himself, his fist closed around something. His face had that same worried expression as this morning, and I got the feeling his conversation with his father hadn't been very cheerful or celebratory. "You okay?" I asked him.

He glanced up at me, then at Paul, and quickly changed his expression. "Uh, yeah," he said with forced cheerfulness. "Yeah, I'm great. Perfect…" He looked down at his closed fist. "…just fine."

Paul frowned. "Where's your dad?" he asked.

"Oh, he just left," Percy said a little too quickly.

"Really? I didn't see him leave," Paul noticed.

Percy pointed back at the kitchen window. "He left via fire escape," he said. "He didn't want to bother anyone. Just wanted to tell me something."

Tyson pointed at Percy's fist. "What's in your hand?"

Percy uncurled his fingers, revealing a shiny white sand dollar. "He gave this to me. Birthday present."

Paul still didn't look convinced that Poseidon had used to fire escape to leave. "Are you sure he climbed down the fire escape?" he asked once more.

Paul looked at Paul, raising an eyebrow. "What, do you think he just vanished into thin air?"

_Then that's _exactly_ what happened, isn't it?_ I thought. But Paul had to believe it.

* * *

><p>We spent the rest of the night eating cake and ice cream and playing charades and Monopoly. Tyson wasn't too good at charades, but he was amazing at Monopoly. After the first five rounds, Percy was bankrupt and went to his room, bringing the last piece of cake with him.<p>

For the rest of the night, Percy stayed in his bedroom with the door closed. I thought maybe he'd drifted off or something. When it was getting late, Paul kissed me goodnight, and he and Tyson left.

After I finished cleaning up, I knocked on Percy's door.

"Come in," he said.

I opened it, and he was lying on his back, trying to string his sand dollar onto his camp necklace. "Good idea," I noticed.

He looked over at me. "Don't want to lose it," he explained. Then he sat up and glanced at the fire escape, and then back at me. "I was wondering," he said. "Over the summer, I got this plant called moonlace. Now, I'm no florist, but…" He showed me the plant box on the fire escape, which I usually filled with flowers in the spring. Now, there was a small silvery plant shining in the moonlight. "…I was thinking maybe you'd do a better job taking care of it."

I smiled. "Of course," I told him. "Now, come on, it's getting late. You should get some rest."

Percy nodded, although he still looked concerned. "Okay," he said.

I was about to leave when he said, "Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," he said. "For everything."

"I'm always here for you, Percy," I told him, then closed the door behind me.

* * *

><p><strong>Percy's sixteenth birthday's probably not going to take place on his birthday, since so much was going on, you know, like a war. So, I was going to do a little belated birthday one-shot about Sally reflecting on how much Percy had grown over the years, as my friend suggested. So yeah. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PERCY! He's what, 18 in real life? Cool he's an adult now!<strong>

**Review and stuff, because I seriously love it when you do that. It makes me so happy, so thank you!**

**~Mandi2341**


	4. Sixteen

**Author's Note: My friend, whom I shall call "Aphrodite Girl" came up with this idea. I like it. I'd written most of it right after posting **_**Thunderstorm**_**, so that was forever ago. But I thought, **_**since Percy's sixteenth birthday was super confusing and I didn't even know where it started in the book, 'cuz it all ran together, why don't I use this as his sixteenth birthday. **_**So this is a little one-shot about Sally thinking about Percy and the summer, since his real birthday was super crazy. **

**Hope I did a good job!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.**

* * *

><p><em>Sixteen<em>

I got out of my car and stared up at the giant hill. A sudden rush of memories came flooding to my mind. I remembered the first time we'd climbed this hill together. We were being chased by an angry bull-man who'd wanted to feast on my son. I remembered him running up this hill with Grover, his satyr protector, slung over his shoulder. The only frustrating part was that I couldn't remember anything past that point. That had seemed like so long ago…

I watched as a red-haired girl came down the hill. I recognized her—Rachel Dare, a friend of Percy's. He'd gotten so close to her over the summer. They'd only met two years ago, but you'd never know, the way they were always together.

She noticed me, and her eyes lit up. "Hi, Ms. Jackson!" she called, waving her hand at me. I smiled and returned her wave. I asked her how her summer had been, and she told me all of the crazy things that I'd missed while I was passed out in a Prius, or waiting for my son at the bottom of the Empire State Building.

I couldn't help grinning. "Sounds like the rest of your summer was great, Rachel," I told her.

She smiled back. "It was," she agreed. "But trust me; Percy's was probably much better." She looked away, smiling slyly to herself, like she knew a little secret. I watched her as she got into her father's shiny Mercedes.

I couldn't help but think of how far we'd gotten. It was almost impossible for me to imagine the little boy I'd been trying to protect when he was twelve. I remembered that first summer, when he'd come home to me with a bandage around his arm, barely able to stand up. Even so, he'd told me all about his first year at camp and his first quest, but also about all sorts of danger he was in as a son of Poseidon. But I remembered how he'd looked at me confidently, his green eyes shining brightly, and assured me that he was okay, that he didn't need my protection anymore, that he could take care of himself. Year after year he'd come back from each quest with a new story every time.

Another car pulled up behind mine. A tall, blond man stepped out, along with two identical blond boys. His face looked familiar, but I wasn't sure why.

He saw me and flashed me a friendly smile. I returned it, holding out my hand. "Sally Jackson," I introduced myself.

"Frederick Chase." He stopped, then said, "You wouldn't happen to be Percy Jackson's mom, would you?"

I smiled. "You wouldn't happen to be Annabeth Chase's dad, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"And I'm Percy's mom."

"Nice to meet you. Annabeth tells me so much about Percy. Great things."

One of the twins rolled his eyes. "Annoying things. He's all she talks about."

The other one nodded in agreement. "I wish she'd just go out with him and give us all a break."

I laughed. "Don't worry," I assured them. "Percy can't keep his mouth shut about Annabeth either."

As if on cue, I glanced up and saw a blond teenage girl sprinting down toward us, followed by a dark-haired teenage guy. I smiled wide.

"You'll never catch me, Seaweed Brain!" she yelled back.

"Never say never, Wise Girl!" he called. He put on a burst of speed and caught up with her, so they were running side-by-side. Then he tackled her with a huge hug, picking her up and spinning her around lovingly. The girl laughed. So did the boy. So did I.

I shook my head, thinking, _Oh, Percy._

He kept twirling Annabeth around, until they both toppled over and rolled down the hill. I could hear Annabeth trying in vain to scream at him, but her giggles kept her from sounding angry. When they finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, where we were waiting, they were both cracking up.

"I'm sorry," Percy chuckled.

"Say that to my sore back," Annabeth said, pushing him away, but still laughing.

The twin blondes both raised eyebrows at the two teenagers. "Nice job, you guys," one said.

Percy just rolled his eyes and got up, helping Annabeth up as well. I noticed that his skin shimmered a little bit, just slightly. It was almost like a force field around him. Immediately, I recognized the curse of Achilles, Percy's new invulnerability.

"Hey, Mom," he called to me, still hand-in-hand with Annabeth.

"Hi, Dad," Annabeth greeted her father.

I smiled at the two of them. "Well, looks like someone made the best of this summer," I commented.

Percy nodded. "Definitely."

"So are you finally going out with him?" one of the twins asked Annabeth.

Annabeth smiled at Percy, then gave him a peck on the cheek. "Yeah," she said. "I guess you could say that."

Annabeth's father nodded, and I could see a smile starting to spread across his face as well. "Well, we'd better get going, Annie," he said.

Percy nodded. Then he sighed. "Um, so I guess…I'll see you in New York?"

Annabeth hugged him tightly. "See you in New York," she said.

I pretended not to notice as Percy pulled her in for a sweet kiss, but I couldn't help but smile. I knew all along that he liked her. It was just something that moms could notice from time to time.

Percy walked over to the car with me. He was smiling like crazy.

"Looks like you had a fun summer," I noticed. "So, you're finally going out with Annabeth, huh?"

He blushed, but he nodded.

"How was the rest of your birthday?" I asked him.

His face turned even redder. "I got a chocolate cupcake," he offered.

"Yeah, because getting a cupcake on your birthday is _so embarrassing_," I said sarcastically. "Now, what are you blushing about?"

"I got dumped into the canoe lake," he told me.

I laughed. "Why?"

He took a sudden interest in his sneakers. "Let's just say that Annabeth and I had the best underwater kiss of _all time,_" he said.

"Ah, I see," I said, smiling. "You really like her, don't you?"

He nodded, smiling and blushing. "Yeah, I really do. So…" he said, in a let's-change-the-subject voice. "…can I drive?" he asked, holding his hand out for the key.

I cracked up. "Sure," I said, dropping the keys into his open palm. "You're sixteen now; you'll be getting your license soon. Practice makes perfect."

"Yes!" I heard him whisper to himself.

As we drove away, I thought I saw Percy glance in the rearview mirror. He smiled once. "By the way, Mom," he said, "shooting that monster with that shotgun—awesome."

"Thanks, Percy," I laughed as Percy drove as back to the city.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, couldn't resist having Percy do something totally Percy-like. So, one more time, Happy Birthday, Percy.<strong>

**Thank you to all those who read and reviewed. I love you all!**

**~Mandi2341**


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